Inter Miami star Lionel Messi has been ruled out of training ahead of the side’s clash with Philadelphia Union this weekend after yet another injury setback. The Argentine forward, who recently was back in training after an ankle ligament during the Copa America 2024 final, has reportedly developed symptoms of flu.

Reports suggest the ankle injury of Messi has not taken a turn for the worse, but an illness has delayed his return to action. He is likely to participate in the match between Inter Miami and Atlanta United on 19th September.

His absence never caused harm to the team as a result of performance since it had eight wins out of nine matches without him.

Speaking to the media, Miami head coach Tata Martino gave an update on Messi’s return, “He is developing well, it was foreseeable that he would not be with Argentina because he is not yet in a position to play, but we continue to see him develop. There is no estimate because you are already starting to see how you feel as you add training on the field.”

“The work is planned by the medical part with the physical trainers. But yes, he returns before the end of the regular season.”

“I wouldn’t be able to give an approximate number of days that he returns to training but it is not a situation that is too far away. There is a part of the injuries that have to do with the physical and there is a part of the injuries that has to do with the mental, so we have to overcome them both ways and I think that he is going through that process.

“He is feeling better and better, he has been working in the field for three or four days now. We cannot give time because we do not know and it would be speculating about something that may not be possible to do, but it is close,” he added.